A/N: Ummm...Merry Christmas? I HAD to write this fic, it wouldn't leave me alone. Hehe. For those of you who don't know, Lithos is not an OC. I sadly do not own her, much as I wish I did. She is a character from the Episode G mangas. I am not sure what happens to her, as I only read the 1st 3 mangas, but for all intent and purpose for my story, she is very much alive. I was going to post this as one fic, but I have decided to split it into three separate chapters. Enjoy. Please review!

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PART 1-Hidden Feelings

"Marin, I love you", He said, clasping her hands with his own. "I've loved you for the last seven years."

He was wearing a snazzy blue tuxedo while she wore a pale pink evening gown.

"I know you have...", she whispered, gazing shyly at the ground.

He lifted her face and slowly removed her silver mask, revealing her wide, beautiful brown eyes and delicate features. Gently he rose his hands and rested them on her creamy shoulders. Her physical beauty was only eclipsed by her personality.

She sighed and closed her eyes, a slight blush playing on her cheeks as she leaned towards him. He closed his own eyes and bent slightly at the knees, awaiting the kiss. Their lips met...

"Ah, Aiolia? Could you help me, please?", a sweet, gentle-sounding voice pulled Aiolia of Leo out of his fantasy world.

Aiolia blinked-Aphrodite of Pisces stood before him with his arms full of plants.

"What in Athena's name are you doing with all that!?", he asked, rising to his feet and taking some of the plants from Aphrodite's arms.

Aphrodite stared at Aiolia as though he were stupid. "Athena wants this place looking "lively" for Christmas."

"And?" Aiolia was confused. Where was Aphrodite going with this?

"I'm making fresh wreaths", the Pisces saint explained. "To hang on our temples."

"I'm sure Shaka will love you putting a wreath over his temple", Aiolia replied, hiding a smile as he imagined the blond discovering the wreath hanging over the entrance of his temple.

"He'll get over it. When Athena was growing up as Saori Kido in Japan she celebrated Christmas. Now she wants to celebrate with us. Who are we to deny her what she wants?"

"Nobody" Aiolia replied.

The to walked side-by-side back to Pisces temple, Aphrodite chatting away cheerfully. Aiolia hardly noticed his friend's chatter, however, as he was very lost in his own thoughts. Two years ago, Aphrodite would have never asked him for his help, nor would Aiolia have willingly given it. Their fight against Hades had pushed them all closer together at the realization that despite all having different objectives, their main goal-protect Athena-was the same. After dying, then being revived, for some it'd been their second time, the rift between them vanished. Aiolia only found it a pity that it had taken death for them to start functioning like the family unit they should have been all along.

So here they were, two years after the fight with Hades, alive and well. Their original personalities-what they were like before starting their training as Saints-had come back along with their new lives. He would have never guessed that Aphrodite could be such a sweetheart, or that Deathmask actually enjoyed receiving flowers. Shaka was becoming less cryptic and Mu more sociable...

"...Over there, please...", Aphrodite's voice pulled him from his thoughts yet again.

"Huh?", Aiolia asked.

"I said you can put the plants down over there." Aphrodite's mouth turned down in a frown. "Are you alright? You seem out of it."

"Ah, I'm fine." Aiolia replied. He set the plants down where he was instructed and racked his fingers through his golden-brown curls. His thoughts shifted to Marin again, and Pisces Temple suddenly felt like an inferno.

"You sure?" Aiolia felt Aphrodite's slim hand settle on his forehead, then move to his cheek. Aphrodite's touch reminded Aiolia of when he was a young child and Saga had checked him for a fever while Aiolos was away. Unconsciously, he leaned into the touch, enjoying how the cool fingers felt on his warm skin.

"Well, you feel a little warm, but I don't think it's a fever. Maybe you should go lay down for a little while anyway. With the quick climate changes, I wouldn't be surprised if we all wound up with pneumonia."

"I'm not sick...just...thinking..." Aiolia wanted to tell Aphrodite about Marin because he knew the Pisces Saint wouldn't tease him, but before he could say more, a loud voice interrupted.

"So that's where all the smoke was coming from..."

Aiolia and Aphrodite turned to see Deathmask strolling up to them.

"...And here I thought Aphrodite was teaching Milo how to cook."

"No. If he was teaching Milo how to cook, the temple would be up in flames." Aiolia told him.

"Actually, I would just send Milo to Camus and let Camus handle his friend", Aphrodite replied. He stepped towards Deathmask. "Speaking of friends, Angelo, you were supposed to be here two hours ago."

Deathmask smiled. "Guess I forgot."

"Well, that's nice. Maybe I'll "forget" to make your dinner tonight."

Deathmask paled. "You know I can't cook to save Athena's life."

"Good thing Athena doesn't need saving."

Aiolia didn't want to be in the middle of the bickering between Aphrodite and Deathmask, so he quietly excused himself and left. Maybe he would take Aphrodite's advice and rest in his temple for a little while.

Aiolia was so lost in thought about Marin he was startled when he passed into Virgo temple and Shaka scolded him.

"Did you not learn it is unmannerly to just go traipsing through the homes of others unannounced?"

"Sorry, Shaka. I didn't see you. I guess I figured you'd be out on town with everyone else."

Shaka re-arranged his shawl delicately around shoulders so pale they were almost translucent. "The same way you are "out on town" I suppose."

"Fair point", Aiolia said.

Shaka stood up and Aiolia tried not to grimace at how skinny his friend was. Every time he saw Shaka not wearing his Cloth-today he wore a simple brown sari and white shawl-a fierce protectiveness washed over him. It didn't matter that Shaka was the strongest of all of them-he looked sickly and frail. His bones jutted out so far Aiolia wondered how he had the strength to even support his own weight.

"Where were you rushing off to in such a hurry?"Shaka guestered to the tea he'd been making, his way of inviting Aiolia to sit with him. "You do realize it was the tortoise that beat the hare."

Shaka knelt gracefully on a cushion and sipped his tea. Aiolia plopped down on a second cushion not quite as gracefully and held his cup, but he did not drink from it.

"I know that story, but the story of the lion, the fish, and the crab is totally different."

"You are a strange one, Aiolia of Leo."

"You think I'm strange? Spend the day with Aphrodite and Deathmask."

"Please Aiolia. I do not wish to take up drinking."

"I don't want to see you drunk", Aiolia replied.

He sipped his tea, even though he would have prefered a beer, or maybe some of Saga's Greek wine, and wished he knew what was going on in Shaka's mind. He sighed and stood up.

"Thank you for the tea, Shaka. I think I'm going to go rest in my temple for a little while."

Shaka nodded and Aiolia headed for the enterance. He was almost out of the temple when Shaka called out to him.

"Not all flowers bloom in the spring, Aiolia. Some of the most beautiful and fragrant ones thrive in the winter months."

Aiolia stared, stunned. Either Shaka had gone completely crazy or he knew about Marin. The Leo saint shook his head and dashed off to his own temple. He pulled off his mud-covered boots and washed up and changed into clean clothes. He then fell into his bed, where he soon managed to slip into a fitful sleep.

"Aiolia..."

Aiolia groaned and pulled his pillow over his head, trying to drown out the voice of the young man calling his name.

A cold hand grabbed his foot and tickled him.

"Go away, Aiolos!", Aiolia grumbled. His brother was the only one insane enough to tickle his feet while he was sleeping.

"Come on, Aiolia. Get up. There's a young lady who wants to see you. Quite attractive if I do say so myself..."

Aiolia sat up. "What young lady? And might I remind you, you are in no position call anyone "young"?"

Aiolos shrugged. "I'm supposed to twenty-nine...Anyhow, this young lady thought that I was you, and had gone from dying my hair red to dark brown..." Amusement laced Aiolos's voice.

Aiolia was wide-awake now.

Aiolos grinned at him.

"To think, you tried to avoid looking like me when it's brought you the attention of so many girls..." he sighed. "Though I guess these days it is I who looks like you."

Aiolia tried to keep an angry look on his face. Aiolos was very hard to stay angry with, especially now that he was physically only sixteen. On top of being a total sweetheart most of the time, he was now younger than Aiolia, and Aiolia had a hard time not thinking of his older brother as a younger one. Sometimes it felt like having two Seiyas on his hands.

"You are going to scare her with a look like that on your face."

"Where is she?", Aiolia asked, starting to feel dizzy. Thought I had gone from dying my hair red to dark brown Aiolos's words rang in his ears. It couldn't be her...

Aiolos beckoned to someone hovering just outside the doorway.

A beautiful young woman walked into the temple wearing a long white dress with a blue poncho wrapped around her. She was petite-about five feet tall and only slightly over half Aiolia's weight-with short red hair and bright blue eyes. Aiolia felt suddenly weak. By the gods...it was her...

"Lithos!", he gasped, jumping off the bed and pulling the girl against him in a crushing hug.

"Master Aiolia, I can't breathe." the girl gasped.

Aiolia released her from his grip. "Sorry. And don't call me Master Aiolia...just Aiolia is fine."

Lithos smiled at him. "It's been a long time, huh?"

"Too long..." Aiolia suddenly remembered he had to go into town. He groaned.

Lithos and Aiolos both shot him questioning glances.

"I'm sorry...I just remembered I have to go into town..." he glanced at his brother "otherwise we won't be able to eat tonight."

Aiolos blushed and put his hand to the back of his head. "Sorry. I forgot it was my turn to go shopping...I'll go now..."

"No", Aiolia said firmly. "I'll go, that way I know it gets done."

Lithos laughed. "I didn't know you had a younger brother Ma-er...Aiolia...He's cute."

"Don't compliment him, Lithos. His head will swell up", Aiolia told her.

"I think you have me confused with you", Aiolos replied, his hands on his hips. "Anyway, why don't we all go into town together? If Lithos is staying with us, surely she deserves some say in what she eats."

"Alright. Fair point...now both of you out of my bedroom so I can get dressed in peace."

"Yes, sir!", Lithos said cheerfully, saluting Aiolia.

Aiolos hid a smile and the two disappeared from view.

Aiolia smiled as he got dressed. Lithos was back. Things would certainly get interesting around the Sanctuary-he wondered how many of his fellow Gold Saints remembered her. And then the way his brother looked at her...he'd have to find some way to get Lithos and Aiolos together...and some way to get himself and Marin together...

He sighed. Marin was such a fiery girl, he wasn't quite sure how to approach her with his feelings. Aiolos's advice of "just tell her" didn't seem like it would work.

He'd worry about that later. Right now, he had to go into town so they wouldn't starve.

He walked out into the main hallway of his temple to find Aiolos pretending to sleep sprawled out across the stone floors. His dark-haired brother sat up, deep green eyes sparkling with amusement. "Did you make your clothes?"

Aiolia ignored him. "Come on. Let's go."

He led the way out, Lithos and Aiolos right beside him.

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Marin of Aquilla could not believe her eyes when she saw her long-time crush, Aiolia of Leo, walking with his brother and a young woman with short red hair. Aiolia and the woman seemed familiar with each other. The girl kept touching Aiolia's arm, and every so often, she would say something to him that would make his toss his head back and laugh uproariously.

She'd been on her way to talk with Aiolia, and finally tell him how she felt. Now it appeared she was too late.

Tears slipped down her cheeks and she turned away, hoping Aiolia would be happy with the woman. If she couldn't make him happy, then that was all she wanted. As long as Aiolia was happy, she'd manage to live. Somehow.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Dun Dun Dun! Ok, people, check back Wednesday for the second part...though I might be kind and post it earlier. We'll see how fast I get it typed (it's all been hand-written). Please review.